MORE FROM GOLDEN YEARS

The summer transfer window is winding down, and over the next few days we'll see some feverish activity as clubs use their last chance to bring in new players before the new year.

Sportsmail's nostalgic picture series Golden Years focuses this week on transfer deals over the decades, beginning with Ted Drake in the 1930s, through to iconic players of the 1960s like Jimmy Greaves and Denis Law, and stars of the Premier League era such as Stan Collymore and Duncan Ferguson.

We have players signing on the dotted line, some posing for photographs and one all-time great juggling the ball.

Your comments below this feature will as ever be welcomed, and we'll return with more pictures from football's archives next Wednesday.

VIDEO Scroll down to watch a rundown of the top ten most expensive teenage transfers in football history

We begin with this 1934 picture of Ted Drake a centre forward for whom Arsenal paid Southampton £6,500. Drake helped the Gunners to the title in his first season with the club, and another championship in 1937-38. Overall, he scored 124 goals in 167 appearances for Arsenal and his six goals in five matches for England

Sam Weaver is greeted by Tommy Law and his other new colleages at Chelsea after joining from Newcastle in 1936. Left-half Weaver made a name for himself during his seven years in the North East, helping Newcastle to FA Cup glory in 1932. He ended up playing 116 times for Chelsea, before his career was interrupted by World War Two

This 1958 picture shows Cliff Jones signing for Tottenham from Swansea for £35,000, a then British record fee. Also pictured here are Swansea manager Ron Burgess and Spurs boss Jimmy Anderson. The winger stayed with Tottenham for a decade, helping them to their famous Double in 1960-61. He also made 59 appearances for Wales, playing in all five of their matches at the 1958 World Cup

Jimmy Greaves holds up an AC Milan pennant during a visit to the club before his transfer from Chelsea in 1961. The legendary striker never settled in Italy, and soon moved to another London club, Tottenham, where he stayed for nine years. During that time, he helped Spurs to two FA Cup wins and a European Cup-Winners' Cup

Manchester United's new signing Denis Law, alongside manager Matt Busby, is interviewed outside Old Trafford after joinin from Italian outfit Torino in 1962. Law became one of United's greatest ever players during his 11 years with the club, a certain generation of fans still referring to the Scottish centre forward as 'The King'

Alan Ball is welcomed by Everton manager Harry Catterick on his £112,000 transfer from Blackpool in 1966. It was the first six-figure transfer between English clubs. The move came just after the midfielder had helped England to their most memorable moment, the 1966 World Cup triumph on home soil. During his five years with Everton, Ball claimed his only major club success, as the Toffees won the league title in 1969-70

Colin Todd pictured above after his transfer from Sunderland to Derby for £175,000 in 1971, a then-record for a defender. Todd was part of two Derby teams that won the title, in 1971-72 and 1974-75. Below, the one picture in our feature that strictly speaking doesn't fall into the 'done deal' category. Forward Ian Storey-Moore acknowledges the cheers of Derby fans as he is introduced to the crowd by secretary Stuart Webb and assistant manager Peter Taylor in 1972. The deal that would have seen him join from Nottingham Forest fell through however, and Storey-Moore eventually joined Manchester United

Here's Alan Hudson getting the feel of things at Highbury after joining Arsenal from Stoke in 1976. The midfielder signed for £200,000, and stayed in north London for two years. Hudson had previously spent six years with Chelsea, whom he helped to winning an FA Cup and European Cup-Winners' Cup

Here's Laurie Cunningham with West Bromwich Albion director John Gordon at Heathrow before leaving for Madrid to join Spanish giants Real Madrid in 1979. Cunningham, a Londoner who started his career at Leyton Orient, spent five years at the Bernebeu. He later made sporadic returns to English football, turning out for Manchester United, Leicester and Wimbledon. He came on as a substitute for Wimbledon in their famous 1988 FA Cup final win over Liverpool

The first million pound player in English football next, Trevor Francis. Here, he emerges from the City Ground in 1979, having joined Nottingham Forest from Birmingham. With him are Forest assistant manager Peter Taylor, secretary Ken Smales and legendary manager Brian Clough. Francis enjoyed the perfect end to his first season in Nottingham, scoring the winner in the 1979 European Cup final against Malmo

Avi Cohen pictured here at Anfield to discuss his £200,000 transfer from Maccabi Tel Aviv in 1979. The Israeli defender stayed with the Merseyside giants for two years, but he made just 18 appearances. He returned to Maccabi, before playing again in Britain later in his career, with a brief spell at Rangers

Manchester United manager Ron Atkinson, secretary Les Olive and chairman Martin Edwards watch as Bryan Robson completes his £1.5m transfer from West Brom in 1981. It was then a British record transfer fee. Robson went on to become United's most inspirational player of the 1980s, and was finally rewarded with league title glory late in his career, in 1993 and 1994

Peter Reid will be well remembered for spells at Bolton, Everton and Manchester City, but you may not recall the England midfielder joining Notts County late in his career. Here's Reid pictured with a County scarf after completing his transfer in 1994

Dutch superstar Ruud Gullit pictured here at Stamford Bridge shortly after signing for Chelsea in 1995, on a free transfer from Sampdoria. Gullit was soon to become a player-manager, helping the Blues to their first trophy in 26 years, the 1997 FA Cup. On the international stage, Gullit's finest hour came when he inspired Holland to glory at the 1988 European Championship

Stan Collymore is pictured here with Aston Villa manager Brian Little as he signs in 1997. The striker had impressed with Nottingham Forest and Liverpool, and was now joining the club he had always supported. Collymore spent three years with Villa, but didn't manage to hold down a regular place in the team during that period

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger with two major new signings in the summer of 1997, Emmanuel Petit and Marc Overmars. Frenchman Petit was signed from Monaco, while Dutchman Overmars joined from Ajax. It was to be some debut season in north London for them both, with the Gunners claiming a league and cup double

Here's Paul Merson with Aston Villa manager John Gregory after leaving Middlesbrough in a £6.75m deal in 1998. Merson had previously spent 12 memorable years with Arsenal. In his four seasons with Villa, Merson didn't win a trophy, but helped the club to the FA Cup final in 2000. He is now known as a television pundit

Two pictures next from the same year, 2000, with Benito Carbone (above) meeting the Bradford fans and posing for photographers at Valley Parade after completing a free transfer from Aston Villa. Below, Duncan Ferguson arrives at Everton following his £3.75m transfer from Newcastle. The Scottish striker stayed with the Merseyside giants for six years

One of the finest players in football history here, Zinedine Zidane, at the Bernabeu after his big-money move to Real Madrid from Juventus in 2001. The move paid instant dividends for Real, with Zidane scoring a famous volleyed winner against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 European Cup final at Hampden Park